Bush admin to admit polar bears are endangered

What will be the response of the flat earth polluters who think there is no problem with global warming when this finding is released? (WaPo):

The Bush administration has decided to propose listing the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, putting the U.S. government on record as saying that global warming could drive one of the world’s most recognizable animals out of existence.

The administration’s proposal — which was described by an Interior Department official who spoke on the condition of anonymity — stems from the fact that rising temperatures in the Arctic are shrinking the sea ice that polar bears need for hunting. The official insisted on anonymity because the department will submit the proposal today for publication in the Federal Register, after which it will be subject to public comment for 90 days.

…Because scientists have concluded that carbon dioxide from power-plant and vehicle emissions is helping drive climate change worldwide, putting polar bears on the endangered species list raises the legal question of whether the government would be required to compel U.S. industries to curb their carbon dioxide output.

“We’ve reviewed all the available data that leads us to believe the sea ice the polar bear depends on has been receding,” said the Interior official, who added that U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials have concluded that polar bears could be endangered within 45 years. “Obviously, the sea ice is melting because the temperatures are warmer.”

Paging Al Gore…

Back in May, I blogged about the crack-smoking capitalists at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. The group produced two 60-second television commercials that extolled the virtues of pumping CO2 into the air in response to Gore’s documentary, saying its spots focused “on the alleged global warming crisis and the calls by some environmental groups and politicians for reduced energy use.” Watch and you decide who has a minimal grasp on reality.